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THE Government came under fire yesterday for handing over the head of the controversial Al-Arqam Islamic sect to Malaysia.

  Ashaari Muhammad was seized at a roadblock on Friday and now faces indefinite detention in Malaysia. Liberal political observers argue he had broken no Thai laws during his six years in the country.

  They say the Thai Government appears to have acted to support the Malaysian Government in a domestic political fight for the sake of regional solidarity.

  'This is actually quite disturbing. We have allowed the Malaysian Government to export its internal political battles here,' said a politician from the Democrat Party which leads the ruling coalition.

  Thai police forced two vehicles carrying the 57-year-old Ashaari and some followers off the road as they were travelling to Chiang Mai in the north.

  Ashaari was expelled on Friday on the grounds that Malaysia had revoked his passport. He was immediately arrested in Malaysia. Six followers were similarly expelled on Saturday.

  The Malaysian Government says it has the right to cancel the passport of any citizen propagating negative images of the country.

  Malaysian security agents are reported to have joined the police interception party, although Kuala Lumpur authorities have been careful to say he was arrested only after he crossed the border.

  Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore agreed in August to rufuse entry to Ashaari because his teachings deviated from the Koran. Thailand and the Philippines said they would monitor the sect's activities.



Ashaari expulsion disturbs liberals